If you had read this post of mine last year, you already know I am a hoarder. I am paranoid that brands will discontinue products I love, or supplies will run out, or war will break out. I hope none of it happens, but I like being prepared by stocking up on the most essential products, namely foundation, lipstick, cleansers, applicators and other tools. And, no, I do not stock up on eyeshadow, blush, bronzers or body butters.
The problem with hoarding is that you need to keep a close watch on expiry dates and move the older products to the front of your shelves. Also, I keep an Excel sheet with dates of purchase and expiry for products that are must-haves. All these are products I use on a daily basis, so they run out long before they grow old!

Check out my bare necessities and how I have stocked up!

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

My favourite face wash. This is the only face wash that helps with my breakouts. The problem is, the bottle with the Neutrogena label in black does not work for me at all. Only the red logo does. So I stock up whenever I find it. All of these expire in 2015, but I use up one bottle every two months or so.Where to buy: Amazon, Neutrogena and a bunch of other places!

Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact in O40

This is my all-time HG foundation. It goes on perfectly with the Beautyblender, stays put all day and keeps me matte for longer than any other foundation. I can get through a whole day with a couple of blotting papers and no touch-ups! Since these are small compacts, I run through these at an alarming rate, as I wear this foundation almost every day.Where to buy: Shiseido, Sephora

Shiseido UV Protective Compact Foundation in SP60

This is my go-to summer foundation. It has SPF30-35. I only have three at the moment, of which one is almost done. This is the creamiest and butteriest powder ever!Where to buy: Sephora, Shiseido

Givenchy Le Prisme powder compact in Shaping Honey

I fell in love with the four-quarters-four-colours concept of this foundation. While it does not go on as smoothly as the Shiseido powder, Givenchy Shaping Honey is my perfect match. I love that I can use the darker portions for mild contouring and the lighter part for highlighting. Swirling on all four quads gives me the right shade. Here, one is brand new and the other two are currently in use.Where to buy: Sephora

Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Lip Color

Ah, my all-time favourite lipstick. The best shade is Rose Garnet, swatched here. I also have Rose Quartz. Unfortunately, they changed the shades last Winter, so I have to look for alternatives within the new range of colours. Rose Quartz still exists but Rose Garnet has been discontinued. Thankfully, I picked up as many as I could before Chanel ran out!Where to buy: Nordstrom, Chanel

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Lip Duo in Mega Mauve

This is my favourite alternative to Chanel Rouge Double Intensite. Mega Mauve is my shade in this range, but it look slightly deeper and more metallic than Rose Quartz and Garnet. Still, it will do in a pinch for a regular work day.Where to buy: Sephora, Nordstrom

Bourjois Flower Perfection Primer

I have reviewed this here. I love this primer - it performs as well as Benefit Porefessional and does not cost as much. I have three unopened jars in my stash right now and all of them expire only in 2017. Where to buy: Boots, LookFantastic.

Holika Holika Baby Silky Foot Sheet Mask

You have seen these in some of my empties' posts. I love the Holika Holika foot masks and keep buying them in bulk. They are moisturising masks, not peeling masks, and will make your feet super-soft overnight. I find there is no need to scrub or buff away rough skin if I use these once in 10 days or so.Where to buy: W2BEAUTY

Tweezers

I am a tweezer junkie. I keep misplacing the fiddly things all the time, so I keep buying them. And I love Boots tweezers, both straight and slanted, even more than Tweezerman's best. I buy at least one each time I go to Boots. The pink and the navy-blue are not from Boots.

Benzoyl peroxide

If you had my face, your vanity would have more acne treatment products than anything else. I stock up on benzoyl peroxide, as it is the only thing that works on my acne. I am careful about expiry dates and a lot of these grow old only by the last quarter of 2015.Where to buy: Amazon, Neutrogena

The Original Beautyblender

Apart from one Pro and one Original Pink in daily use and in my travel bag respectively, I have a set of spares. This is my HG applicator and you can read more about it here. I can forgo every face makeup brush in the world with just this one wonder-sponge.Where to buy: Sephora, Beauty Bay

Stracciatella chocolate!

This has nothing to do with beauty, but I love white chocolate. Not the brown version. Just white. There are 30 boxes in my cupboard right now. This is my all-time favourite chocolate and now you know how much I buy and eat. It is a mercy I work out and have inherited my parents' petit frames so my weight remains at 104lb for 5'4''.

Renu...how do you live with all that yummy chocolate in the same house? I have no will power! lol. Great choices! I haven't tried most of these, but I know I'd love the lip colors. I always lean towards similar shades to you! :)

Thank you! These are the products which actually do work for me - lipsticks and foundations that last, a primer that really mattifies and an applicator that gives a great finish. Every other beauty product can disappear and I'll still be happy lol.